Persona CROSS
by OrpheusBladedge
Summary: The marker changed everything. My life, my body, even my mind. But, one thing will always remain the same. I will always be Minato Arisato, nothing more, nothing less. A retelling of Persona 3, with a few changes. READ and REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1 - An Eventful Return

_**AN: Welcome, to my new story!**_

_**A few things will be different, and I think I need to explain a few of them here:**_

_**Minato has known Pharos since the 'incident'.**_

_**Minato is aware of Personae.**_

_**Minato is aware of Shadows.**_

_**This is a sort of crossover between Persona 3 and Digital Devil Saga. If you've played it, then you'll know exactly what is different with this story.**_

_**That about covers it, so….**_

_**On With The Show!**_

Chapter 1: An Eventful Return

_*I Will! BURN! MY! DREAD!*_

My music blared through my speakers, and I smiled as the chorus kicked in. I strode through the station, watching all the people around me go about their lives, oblivious to me.

I liked it that way, though.

The sounds of the traffic, of the world around me, drowned out by the music. I see a group of students, wearing the same uniform as me, walk past, laughing.

My train rolls up to the station, and I get in, taking a standing position over by the window.

The surroundings blur past me, and we enter a tunnel. And for the first time in a while, my music stopped.

I see a blue butterfly, somehow keeping up with the rapidly moving train, and I heard a soft voice speak in my mind.

_Time never waits,_

_It delivers all to the same end,_

_You, who wish to safeguard the future,_

_You will be given one year,_

_Go forth, without falter,_

_With you heart as your guide._

The music started back up again, and I realised that I hadn't even turned it off.

The train doors opened, and I stepped out into Port Island Station.

I glanced up at the clock, and I saw the second hand approaching midnight. I felt my body tense, as I knew what was coming.

Three… two… one…

Midnight.

My music stopped, and the world turned green around me. The moonlight shone through the skylight, and I heard quiet humming from behind me.

I turned, and saw Pharos, sitting on top of a ticket machine, swinging his legs, humming 'Burn My Dread'.

I cracked a small smile, and walked over to the small boy.

"Hey, Pharos." I said, my voice echoing through the now empty station.

He jumped off the machine, smiling brightly at me.

"Hi, Minato." He responded, his eyes bright with excitement.

"Wow, you're happy." I noticed. "Why?"

He walked around me, giving a quick twirl in the moonlight.

"I dunno." He responded, still smiling. "I just am."

I sighed, and shook my head.

"You're a strange kid, you know that?" I ask, my smirk changing into a grin.

He walked over to me, giving me a hug.

"It's nice to see you again too." He said, his face buried in my stomach.

I pulled him off.

"C'mon, enough with the hugging shit…" I muttered, picked up my bags and setting off to leave.

"Aww…" He teased. "You didn't miss your 'little brother' as much as you said you did?"

I gave him a glare over my shoulder, but he just laughed.

This is Pharos. I don't know where he came from, who he really is, or why he lives inside my head, but when I first saw him, just under ten years ago, we were both just lonely little kids. He helped me deal with my parents' death, with this hellish world, and with _them_.

I shudder at the thought.

He also helped with… the marker. I pulled off my right glove, and my only glove, to reveal an ink black tattoo. It was a zero, but the circle was broken, and it had a broken line through it diagonally from right to left.

Again, I shuddered at the thought of it.

I had 'received' the marker just after the accident, around the same time as I met Pharos, and it… changed me.

Even now, I feel the effects of the Mark, but thanks to Pharos, I can suppress them. If he wasn't here…

I felt a hand on my arm, and I looked down to see Pharos, looking back up at me with sad, but comforting eyes.

I smiled. Since he pretty much lives in my head, he can tell when I'm upset, and he cares enough to help me out a little.

Over time, as we grew closer, I promised him that I'd find out who he was. He was so happy, he hugged me. Since then, he's not bloody stopped.

I shook my head. Damn British, infecting me with their slang.

Pharos and I had travelled all over the world, jumping from foster home, to distant relative, to foster home etc. But, this is the first time I had come 'home', to where my parents and I lived before they died.

I pulled out the leaflet with the directions to my new dorm on it. It wasn't hard to find the place, when all the traffic has stopped and there are no people.

Yeah… everyone turns into coffins during Shadow Time. I call it that because of… well _them_.

I quickly looked around, looking for any trace of the creatures, but the roads are surprisingly clear.

"Pharos, where are they?" I asked the boy I knew would appear right in front of me.

And he did.

"I'm not sure…" He replied, his expression confused. "It seems like something is pulling them away from the city."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" I asked. "Does that mean this is a safe place?"

He shook his head.

"Some strong ones might be able to resist the pull." He said, his tone dark.

I sighed.

"Oh well." I muttered, setting off once again. "Would have been nice to not have to fear for my life, but whatever…"

I walked across the road, coming up on the dorm, but something was… off…

"The lights are on." Pharos said, popping up at my elbow.

"Yeah…" I said, my voice quiet. Power? In Shadow Time?

"You think I could get my MP3 to work?" I said, and Pharos laughed.

"There may or may not be other people aware of this world, a strange force is pulling all of them away from us, and the only thing you're worried about is if you can get a 'ShadowPlayer'?"

I shrugged.

And he sighed.

I opened the door, and stepped inside.

* * *

I shrugged my bags off, letting them fall to the ground.

"Were late."

I turned over to the desk, to see Pharos holding what looked like a clipboard.

"They've been waiting a long time." He said, his tone even more creepy than normal.

"…Pharos?" I said, hesitating.

Whatever was happening here, it wasn't good. What's happening?

He held out the clipboard, along with a pen.

"It's a contract." He explained. "It just means that you'll accept responsibility for your actions."

I flipped open the contract, and there was a single line printed there, along with a spot to put my name.

_I chooseth this fate of mine own free will._

Yeah, that's not foreboding at all…

"Just the usual stuff, huh?" I asked, looking Pharos in the eye.

He smiled, and nodded.

I sighed, and clicked the pen open.

"Fine." I said, and in a single motion, I signed the form.

_Minato Arisato_

Pharos took back the contract.

"No one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end." He said, his tone even creepier.

I felt the skin on the back of my hand burn, and I looked down to see the marker glowing a faint blue.

My eyes widened, and I saw the lines of the marker extend, moving to cover my arm.

"Pharos…" I whispered desperately, feeling the effects of the marker taking over.

He just smiled.

"It delivers us all to the same end." He placed the contract over the right half of his face. "You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes." And the contract disappeared.

The lights suddenly went out, and all I could see was Pharos' eerie glowing eyes.

"And so it begins…"

And he vanished, as did the marker's lines.

I sighed in relief, and I turned around the know dark dorm.

"Pharos?" I yelled. "PHAROS?"

"WHO'S THERE?!"

I span around, and in the hallway, I saw a girl.

She looked about the same age as me, with brown hair and eyes, and a pink cardigan over what looked like the girls version of my new school uniform.

I looked down, and my eyes widened.

On her thigh, there was a marker.

I recognised the oil black lines of the mark, only, unlike my own marker, it was the Roman numeral for 6, VI.

I heard her panting, and my gaze rose to her eyes. Sweat beaded her forehead, and, in one instant, her eyes shifted to neon green.

"Shit." I muttered, backing off.

Her mark started to pulse, glowing a soft green, and black veins started flowing from the marker. I felt my mark pulse, and I felt its power flooding into me.

I raised my hand, showing her the mark, and she let out a soft gasp.

"You forced my hand, remember that." I said, and the marker began to take over.

"Takeba, wait!"

I turned over to the stairs, and I saw a tallish redhead. My eyes again widened when I saw another marker on her neck, this time a III, and a rapier attached to her hip.

I blinked, and the lights came back on.

Shadow Time was over.

The marker dimmed, and I quickly slipped my hand into my pocket. No use two people knowing about it.

The brunette, or Takeba, smiled in relief, and the redhead walked calmly over to me.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late." She said, her voice clear and calm, as though the previous events never happened.

I nodded curtly at her, still wary of these other marked teens.

"I am Mitsuru Kirijo, and this is Yukari Takeba." She introduced.

"…Hey." Takeba said, her tone wary.

I shifted forward slightly, nodding.

"Takeba, could you show him to his room?" Kirijo asked, breaking the tension.

"S-Sure." Takeba stuttered. "Follow me."

I picked up my bag and she guided me up to the second floor.

"Here's your room." She told me, once we got to the end of the hall. "Pretty easy to remember, since its right at the end of the hall."

I nodded, but as she turned to leave, I grabbed her arm.

"Don't tell anyone what you saw." I warned her, my tone low

Takeba jumped at the sound of my voice, and nodded fearfully.

I sighed, then yawned.

"Well, good night, Takeba." I said, and stepped into my room.

I turned back, giving her a toothy grin.

"Sleep well."

_**AN: Yeah, kind of a short chapter, but it's the first one! Cut me some slack!**_

_**Yeah, Minato's a bit of a dark character in this, but only because of the nature of how he got his power. No spoilers.**_

_**See you next time!**_


	2. Chapter 2 - School, and the Full Moon

_**AN: Hey, quick note:**_

_This Text: _Means that Minato is talking in his head.

_(This Text): _Means that Pharos is talking.

_**This Text: **_Means that ? is talking (SPOILERS!)

_**That is all, ON WITH THE SHOW!**_

Chapter 2: School, And the Full Moon

School. Great.

Not only is it completely boring, because he had already completed the courses he was going to in other countries, he would already know everything the teacher could show him.

I yawned, clearly showing my opinion of the class and its teacher, Mr Ekoda.

Ekoda stopped writing on the board, and levelled a glare at me.'

"Am I boring you, Arisato?" He said, his tone full of hate.

I yawned again, this time for show, and nodded, a small grin playing at my lips.

Ekoda fully turned toward me, clearly furious at his student.

"Regardless, you will pay attention in my class, Arisato." He snapped, motioning toward the board.

"Why?" I asked, leaning back in my chair. "Classic Lit is useless in real life, plus I've already finished this course, which, if you looked at my application, you would already know."

Ekoda stuttered, thrown off slightly, and I saw a teen in a ball cap hold out his hand for a low-five.

"Detention, Arisato, this afternoon." Ekoda finally snapped.

I gave it to him.

I felt Pharos smirk in my head at the teacher, and I grinned mentally at him.

_Maybe this school won't be so boring after all..._

* * *

And, of course, I was wrong. The rest of the day disappointed me with above standard teachers in all the other classes, so I had no ammo to use against them.

Oh well... at least, with the exception of Ekoda, the teachers here were a LOT better than some of my previous schools.

"Sup dude?"

I looked up from my desk, to see the same ball-cap wearing teen that I had low-fived earlier.

I smiled.

"Hey." I responded, giving a small wave.

He grinned back at me.

"Dude, the way you went off at Ekoda earlier was awesome!" He said, slapping me on the back.

I knocked his hand away from me, and stood up.

"So," I started. "I'm Minato Arisato."

The teen straightened up, and adjusted his cap.

"Names Junpei Iori. Nice to meet you." He replied, holding out his hand.

I shook it.

"Likewise."

I heard someone coming closer, and I turned to see Takeba. She obviously still wasn't completely comfortable around me. Then again, I DID nearly attack her last night.

Her own fault, but still...

She flinched at my gaze, and I smiled slightly.

"Hello, Takeba." I said, bowing my head slightly, and she did the same.

"Whoa, you two now each other?" Iori asked, confused and excited.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I moved into their dorm last night." I said, and the excitement on his face increased.

"Whoa, seriously?" He asked. "You live in the same dorm as Yukari Takeba and Mitsuru Kirijo?"

I could practically see the excitement and jealousy rolling off of him, and Takeba blushed slightly.

"Y'know their not the hottest girls in the world, right?" I asked Iori, seriously worried for the dude.

Takeba's blush disappeared in an instant, and she scowled at me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped, placing her hands on her hips in a defiant manner.

I chuckled.

"I just meant that I've travelled a lot, so it's only natural that I've seen hotter girls." I commented dismissively.

Iori's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Whoa, dude. Story time, now." He said, pulling up a chair.

I laughed, and stood up.

"Not today, Iori." I said, picked up my bag. "I've got stuff to do."

He jumped up, looking a little disappointed.

"Okay then..." He said, and then smiled. "How about I treat you to ramen? As a 'Welcome!' gift?"

I frowned.

"I dunno..." I trailed off, looking out the window.

_(As long as we're home before the Shadow Time, then he should be fine.)_

Again, I sighed. Those monsters seemed drawn to me, and to anyone I'm near when Shadow Time hit.

I still remember when they attacked me at my first foster home, and how they dragged my foster parents out of there coffins and th-

"Minato?" Iori said, snapping me free of my memory.

I shook my head, clearing the thoughts out of my mind, and smiled.

"Sure, let's go."

* * *

Ramen was _good_ in this town. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find good ramen out of Japan, and by GOD did I miss it.

Junpei, as he insisted I call him, challenged me to an eating contest.

What he didn't realise, at the time, was that one: I hadn't eaten good ramen in YEARS, and two: I hadn't eaten period today.

I floored him with a total of six bowls, while trailed behind with two and a half, the remainder of which I ate as well.

"Dude, you're a machine!" He exclaimed on the way back home.

I grinned.

"Yep, you probably should have thought before you challenged me." I said, patting my top pocket where my winnings sat smugly.

He grinned along with me.

"Heh, like hell you're gonna keep hold of that for long!" He said, pumping his fist. "I'll take you down next time!"

I smirked.

"I'll hold you to that, Junpei."

_*SMASH*_

Wait, what?

_I am thou..._

_Thou art I..._

_Thou hast forged a new bond..._

_Thou shalt have our blessings when thoust tap into the power of The Magician..._

A blue tarot card with a 1 on the bottom appeared in front of me, and new warmth spread through my chest.

"Dude, you okay?" Junpei asked, and I realised I had stopped moving.

"Y-Yeah, totally." I said, and resumed my pace.

What on earth was that...?

* * *

Weird time-stopping and voices aside, today was a relatively good day. School was boring as fuck, but at least I made a new friend.

Yeah... a new 'bond'.

I was relaxing in my room, and Shadow Time hit. Like clockwork, Pharos appeared at the end of my bed.

I grinned at the boy, sitting up from my now-dead laptop, and joining him at the end of the bed.

"Hey, Pharos." I said, and he smiled brightly up at me.

"Hi Minato!" He yelled, giving me a crushing.

"Ow, don't do that!" I yelled, pulling him off of me.

Pharos pouted, his bottom lip quivering, and tears welled in his eyes.

"Oh, no." I said getting up. "No, no no, nope, not gonna happen. I am NOT falling for that again!"

Pharos suddenly appeared right in front of me, and those... puppy-dog eyes were right in my face.

And, within seconds, I succumbed.

"Fine..." I sighed, and Pharos squealed in delight, pulling me back into the hug.

"I swear, you've become LESS mature as time goes by, Pharos." I commented, patting him on the back as he nestled his face in my stomach.

"No, you've just matured faster." He replied, his voice muffled.

Again, I sighed.

"C'mon, I'd rather sit down, if that's okay with you." I said, my tone sarcastic.

I felt the boy nod, and I walked over to my bed, taking a seat, before the hug resumed.

"God dammit Pharos..." I sighed.

* * *

What Minato and Pharos didn't know, however, was that a pin-point camera had activated itself a couple of minutes before Shadow Time hit.

And that the rest of the dorm was watching with great expectation.

"Working hard?" A tall man with glasses commented as he walked into the room.

He was Shuji Ikutsuki, chairman of the board at Gekkokan High-School, and the man in charge of the dorm.

"He's currently surfing the net with his laptop, using the dorm internet." Kirijo said, nodding her head towards the display on the wall.

Ikutsuki took a seat, and Takeba nodded a welcome at him.

"Mr Chairman, do you think he's..." Kirijo asked, meeting the chairman's eyes.

Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses, and looked toward the screen.

"Well, let's just wait and see for now." He responded, and Kirijo and Takeba looked toward the screen. "The Dark Hour is approaching."

As if on cue, the dorm clock sent out a tone, signalling the Dark Hour was ten seconds away.

They watched the teen's room with baited breath, waiting the hour to shift.

3...

2... ...

1... ... ...

Dark Hour.

The bluenette looked at his laptop with disdain, sighing, but then his attention was drawn to the end of his bed.

The grin on his face was obvious, even through the camera, and he got up off the bed.

"Hey, Pharos."

Everyone in the room looked at each other, and stared as the bluenette continued to... talk to himself.

"No, no no, nope, not gonna happen. I am NOT falling for that again!" He yelled, walking away from the bed.

"What... is he doing?" Takeba asked, breaking the silence.

Kirijo pulled out a folder, the medical records of Minato Arisato.

"He has no previous record of schizophrenia... and no other illness either." She said, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Takeba asked, looking over the shoulder of her senpai.

"He has never even had a cold." She said, her eyes glued to the report. "His previous guardians have never seen him sick, not even a cut or bruise."

This time, it was Ikutsuki who raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" He asked, leaning forward. "Never?"

Kirijo flipped the page, and her eyes widened.

"Not since he lost his family in a car crash..." She said, closing the report. "On Moonlight Bridge."

Ikutsuki noticed the look in her eyes, and leaned forward further.

"Ten years ago, right?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Hey Pharos, do you know what happened today with Junpei?" Arisato's voice cut through there speculation, and everyone turned their attention back toward the teen.

A moment's pause, and he sighed.

"If you don't know, who would?" He asked the air around him.

"Maybe he isn't crazy..." Takeba suggested. "Maybe he can see something we can't."

Ikutsuki rubbed his chin.

"I suppose it could be possible..." He said, never taking his eyes off of the teen on the monitor.

"Anyway, maybe we should go out tonight?" Arisato suddenly said, his voice happy and cheerful.

Then, he suddenly frowned.

"What? What are you talking ab-" He cut himself off.

His eyes trailed up to the corner of his room, exactly where the camera was located.

The bluenette raised an eyebrow, and walked out of the room.

"Where's he going?" Ikutsuki asked, and Kirijo switched the camera view to show all camera footage.

It showed Arisato storming through the dorm, walking into the lounge and right out the door.

"What was that?" Takeba asked, confused.

Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses, a small smile on his lips.

"It seems we may have been found out." He said, and Kirijo gave him a questioning look.

"How?" She asked. "He would have no way to know the camera was active during the dark hour."

"But, maybe his friend told him." Takeba said, uncertain.

"There isn't anyone there, Takeba." Kirijo dismissed.

"That we can see!" Takeba shot back, crossing her arms defiantly.

Kirijo sighed, rubbing her temples, and turned to the chairman.

"We should follow him." She said, and Ikutsuki nodded.

"It's dangerous out in the Dark Hour, and until we know for sure whether or not he has the potential, we should keep a close eye on him." He explained.

Takeba bit her lip, but remained silent.

* * *

"You're sure that the camera was on?" I asked Pharos, who nodded.

Pharos, while we had been chatting, had noticed something move in the corner of my room. After looking myself, it looked like a pin-prick security camera, which Pharos swears he saw zoom in on us.

"Tech doesn't work in Shadow Time, right?" I asked, and he nodded again.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Was it possible?

"We should go check the other floors. See if there's anything up there." Pharos said, a slight grin on his face.

I nodded.

We re-entered the dorm, Shadow Time still in full effect, and my eyes slowly combed the roof, looking for anymore cameras.

And, surprise surprise, I found one.

"There." I said, pointing at the camera, and Pharos grinned, and teleported up to it, yanking it out in one, swift motion.

"One down." He said, reappearing at my side.

I sighed.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to you doing that. Ever." I said, and walked over to the stairs.

We both ventured up to the fourth floor, yanking out cameras on each floor as we went, when Pharos brought up something.

"All these cameras are on, right?" He asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you swear blind they were?" I asked, and he sighed.

"What I'm getting at is, can they see me?" He asked.

I glanced up toward the spot where the camera used to be.

"Maybe. We'll find out when we check out that footage." I said, and he nodded.

I opened the big double doors onto he fourth floor, to find some kind of meeting room.

"Looks like it hasn't been used in ages." I said, motioning toward a giant, dirty and dusty sheet covering the furniture on the left side of the room.

"Yeah... maybe the panel is in the side room?" Pharos asked, and I shook my head.

"Nah, it's an actual room, see?" I said, pointing at the plaque on the door that said 'CHAIRMAN IKUTSUKI'.

"Regardless, the cameras need to feed to somewhere..." I sighed, walking out of the meeting room and down the stairs.

* * *

"ACHOO!"

Takeba sneezed from under the dusty sheet the chairman had ordered her and Kirijo to conceal the consol, and she burst out from under it.

"Takeba, wait!" Kirijo hissed, but Takeba waved her off.

"He's gone, don't worry." She reassured her senpai, and the chairman unlocked his door and stepped out, a worried look on his face.

"That was close." He sighed, with a slight smile on his face.

"But, why are we keeping this from him?" Takeba asked, a confused look on her face. "If he's a candidate, then he would HAVE to find out at some point."

Kirijo sighed, crossing her arms.

"Yes, but until we know for sure if he truly has the potential, we will remain hidden."  
She said, an air of finality in her tone.

Takeba finally sighed, and nodded.

Little did they know, a shadowy figure watched them from the shadows, and a small smile formed on his lips.

* * *

Well... here it is.

Full Moon.

I sighed, pulling on my thicker, leather glove in favour of my usual white velvet.

"Do you think that'll hold?" Pharos asked from beside me, as we walked toward school.

I sighed, tucking my hands into my pockets.

"Gonna have to, won't it?" I say, and he shrugs, to busy admiring the view. "Don't know why you didn't come out the first day..."

Again, he shrugged.

"You were with Yukari. Didn't wanna... get in your way..." He said, with a sly smirk.

I slapped him across the head, scowling.

"Fuck off, kid." I growled. "I am NOT interested in her."

He simply smiled his child-like smile.

"Sure..." He said, and ran up ahead into the monorail station.

Again, for what seemed like the thousandth time this morning, I sighed.

"God dammit, I hate full moons..." I grumbled, slipping my headphones on.

* * *

"C'mon, Minato!" Pharos yelled as Shadow Time hit.

I turned to see him bouncing on my bed, a manic glee in his eyes.

Again, I sighed.

"Christ Pharos, no need to get so excited." I said, opening up my hidden case, revealing a polished Beretta, and a couple of magazines. Didn't really expect to use it, but eh...

"You can never be too safe." Pharos chimed in, and I nodded.

I slipped the gun into the holster on my belt, and I looked at myself in the mirror.

I had my black jeans on, with black and blue skate shoes and a black shirt, with a black leather jacket and my headphones settled on the collar.

I smirked.

I look... almost badass.

Pharos was standing by the door, looking anxious as hell, and I grinned at him.

"Let's let the demon free, huh?" I said, when suddenly-

*BOOM*

The whole dorm shook.

"What the fuck?" I yelled, and Pharos' eyes widened.

"It's... It's a shadow!" He cried, gripping his head in pain.

I ran to his side, pulling him into a hug.

"Shh... it's fine, Pharos, its fine..." I whispered, and I felt him go slack in my arms.

He always got this way when there was a powerful shadow around. He described it as; the presence was too strong to block out.

If this one had knocked him out cold, then Jesus...

I grinned.

"This could be fun..." I said, and lifted Pharos up onto my bed.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

I turned, and Takeba stormed through the door, with a terrified look on her face.

Her eyes locked on my gun, and her eyes widened even further.

I scowled.

"Woman, what?" I hissed, and she snapped out of it.

"W-We have to get out of here, now!" She said, her voice quavering in fear.

I raised an eyebrow, and the dorm shook again.

"Q-Quickly, upstairs!" She yelled, and ran out of my room.

"Hey, wait!" I called out to her, but she was already scaling the stairs. "Fucking stupid girl..."

Who runs upward, toward a ROOF, when attacked by a monster?

I scowled, and chased after her up the stairs. I could hear the sound of battle bellow me, but I didn't bother to stop and check. The girl was gonna get herself killed if I didn't stop her.

I slammed the roof door open, to find Takeba on her knees, shaking in fear, as a huge shadow with hundreds of hands and blades coming close to her.

In an instant, my gun was up and firing, but the holes in punched in the shadow instantly closed, and the shadow's mask slowly turned toward me.

"Fuck..." I swore, slipping my gun back into its holster, and my gaze landed on my gloved hand.

"Is... is it worth it?" I asked myself, knowing Pharos wasn't here to help me.

I felt the mark pulse, and I nodded.

"Takeba..." I said, stepping in front of her. "When you get the chance... run."

I didn't bother to check if she heard me, and I raised my hand, the mark pulsing visibly with purple light.

The glove disintegrated, revealing not the broken zero, but a glowing XIII, with veins spreading out rapidly.

I couldn't help but grin at the shadow, which stood there dumbly, curious at the power it was sensing.

"Run, little rabbit..." I whispered, my voice changing to a demonic tone as the mark took full control. "Run while you can..."

* * *

It was a horrifying sight.

Kirijo, Sanada and Ikutsuki watched from the monitors, as Minato revealed his mark.

"Just as we suspected..." Kirijo said, a small smirk appearing on her face, but Sanada shook his head.

"Look at his face..." He said, pointing at the screen, at Minato's manic expression of glee, and...

Bloodlust.

He laughed, his laughed sounding... different. Deeper than normal. Purple and black flame began to surround him; completely engulfing his body, the only thing still recognisable was the insane laughter.

Everyone watching winced at the site, and as the fire dispersed, their eyes widened at the sight that remained.

A demonic figure, wielding a serrated katana, with a cape of floating coffins, and a black trench coat.

He roared, and leapt forward at the shadow. Within seconds, the shadow was nothing.

The essence of the shadow absorbed into the monster that was Minato, and it howled again, raising his sword in victory.

But, as he lowered his blade, the monster turned toward the still on the ground Takeba, who simply stared at it in shock.

Sanada was out the door in seconds, and Kirijo followed after him. But, Ikutsuki sat down at the monitors, and re-wound the tape, watching the transformation over and over again. .

And smiled.

_**AN: AND THAT'S IT!**_

_**THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE STUCK BY THIS STORY, IT HAS BEEN TO LONG SINCE I POSTED HERE!**_

_**And all it took was me being crippled in one leg for a few days. :D**_

_**See ya later, and I PROMISE I'll get these out quicker! **_

_**Maybe.**_


End file.
